Floor attachment for chairs



April 11, 1939. w. D "RICH 2,153,679

FLOOR ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS Filed Deo. 17, 1936 uhmm: `\\\\\\\\\\':millil- Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR VATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS poration, Massachusetts Boston, Mass.,

a corporation of Application December 17, 1936, Serial No. 116,439

Claims.

rlhis invention pertains to the floor attachment of chairs in systematic order, or arrangement, as chairs in a schoolroom, or assembly hall.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple, exact, and secure mode of attachment by which the chair may be quickly secured to the iioor, or disconnected from it.

The invention can best be seen and understood by reference to the drawing in which a chair is shown secured to the floor according to the invention, such portion of the chair only being shown as is necessary for a proper understanding of the invention.

in the drawing- Fig. 1 is a plan of a floor section tted with floor fixtures embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective showing the floor ixtures with chair legs secured thereto.

Fig. 3 is a view partly in vertical cross sections and partly in side elevation showing the form and position of the attaching member to a oor fixture when the attaching member is in its out of the way position, not in use; and

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3 excepting that the attaching member is shown in use holding the foot of a chair leg.

Referring to the drawing:-

Set into the floor i by boring therein is a floor plate 2. This plate is a metal plate of preferably disc form, and is so set into the floor that the top surface of the plate will lie ush with the top surface ci the oor. The plate is secured to the floor by means of screws 3.

Depending centrally from the plate 2, inside the screws by which the plate is attached to the iioor, is a stud 1. The stud is preferably cylindrical in form integrally joined to the plate. Formed within the plate and extending down into the upper end portion of the stud is a socket 5. Extending through the stud from the bottom end of the socket to the lower end of the stud is a threaded opening 6 of lesser diameter than the socket.

Combined with the floor plate and stud thus provided is an attaching member 'I comprising a shank 8 having a head 9 by which it may be turned. Below its head, separated therefrom, the shank an annular collar I0. The portion of the shank lying below this collar is threaded. The attaching member combines with the floor plate and stud by the engagement of the threaded portion of the shank with the threaded opening 6, through the stud, while the head 9 of the stud and collar I0 thereon enter and lie within the socket 5. The depthof the socket and disposition of the collar on the shank 8 of the attaching member is such that when the shank has been turned in so that the collar I0 will engage the bottom of the socket the top surface of the head Si of the attaching member will then lie ilush with the top surface oi the floor plate and adjacent iioor. The diametrical size of the head of the attaching member is substantially that of the socket 5 so that the head will t snugly therein. The diametrical size of the collar is also substantially equal to that of the socket, so that it, also, will it snugly therein.

The floor plate 2 with stud 4, together with its attaching member l, form a permanent oor fixture, and when not in use for holding chairs the attaching member will be turned down as shown in Figs. l and 3 so that its head 9 will lie flush with the top of the iioor. This disposition of the head will be obtained simply by turning down the attaching member until its collar I engages the bcttom of the socket 5, as previously explained.

number ci floor xtures set into the floor depends upon the number of chairs toy be retained, each chair having a set of floor xtures corresponding in number with the number of its legs, and the setting of all the floor fixtures is such as to give the precise arrangement on the floor for all the assembled chairs.

The drawing is based on a chair (not shown) having three legs, I2, I2.I at the back, and leg I2.2 in front. These legs are made of rolled metal and each leg has an out-turned splayed foot I3. Each set of floor xtures is arranged to receive each set of legs for any chair through attachment of the feet to the legs with the attaching members l of the floor iixtures. To this end each of the feet is slotted that it may have engagement with the Shanks 8 of the attaching members. The foot of the back leg I2 is provided with an opening I4 through it sufficiently large that the head 9 cf an attaching member may pass through it, assuming the attaching member to be turned out so that its head will lie above the surface of the iioor. Offset from the opening I4 is a slot I4.I. This slot is made sufficiently large to enable it to receive the shank 8 of the attaching member and to allow any required manipulation of the chair to obtain the nal setting, as will later be explained. 'I'he feet of the legs I2.I and I2.2 are each provided with a slotted edge opening I5. The openings I5 are made suiciently large to receive the Shanks of the attaching members. Each of these feet is, also, cut away along an edge i6 leading to its slotted opening I5.

With the parts thus provided and arranged the 55 operation of setting the chair is as follows: The attaching members 'I are first turned out so far that the feet I3 of the chair legs may by sliding along the iioor be brought under the heads 9 of the attaching members and be retained when the attaching members are turned down, the shanks of the attaching members then having entered the slots or openings in the feet. The attaching members should not be turned out so far that the collars I will lie above the surface of the floor for in such event the shanks 8 of the attaching member cannot enter the slots in the feet of the chair as the chair is moved along the surface of the floor. For the purpose of preventing the attaching members being turned out too far the threaded end to the shank 8 of each attaching member extending beyond the bottom of the stud in which the member turns has permanently secured to it a headed nut I1. This nut will engage the bottom of the stud before the collar rises above the surface of the floor preventing its further rising, but in any event the location of the nut Il is such as will permit the attaching member being turned sufliciently far that the feet to the legs of the chair may engage the shanks 8. With the attaching members FI thus turned up the foot of the back leg I2 is brought over the floor iixture which holds this ieg so that the head of the attaching member to this fixture will enter and pass through the opening it in this rear foot. The chair is then turned on the floor to bring the feet to its back leg I?! and front leg 22 into engagement with the shanks of the attaching members to the floor fixtures which retain the feet to these legs so that the shanks of' the attaching members will enter the slots I5 in these feet. This eect is obtained by a slight turning of the chair and the entry of the Shanks into the slots I5 is permitted by the cut away edges I6 leading to these slots. After the chair has been brought into a position where the Shanks of the attaching members will enter the slots i5 in the front feet, then the chair is moved forward into its final position the shank tothe attaching member which retains the foot to the leg I?. then entering the slot It! in this foot. The attaching members are now turned down until their heads 9 tightly engage the feet, thus holding the legs and chair securely in place. The release of the chair is effected simply by a reverse operation. The attaching members are unlocsened, the feet of the chair then turned away from the shanks of the attaching members, and the attaching members afterwards turned down until their heads are flush with the floor.

The collars it on the shanks of the attaching members, apart from limiting their downturned position, possess the further advantage of preventing the entry of dirt to the threaded connection between the attaching member and the stud through which it is passing. If any dirt accumulates in the socket 5 above the stud this may be removed simply by turning out the attaching member until the top surface of its collar IB is substantially flush with the top surface of the floor when the dirt can be easily removed, and the parts are preferably so made, especially in the disposition of the nut I1 on the end of the shank, as to permit of this operation.

I claim:

l. In a iloor attachment for chairs the combination with a chair having footed legs attachable to the floor, of a plurality of oor fixtures corresponding in number with the footed legs of the chair and to which the feet of the chair are attached, each floor xture comprising a socket containing base member set into and xed to the oor, an attaching member comprising a headed shank in threaded engagement with said base member and cooperating therewith in manner whereby the head of the shank may occupy an inactive socketed out of the way position within said base member, or an active operative position above said base member for retaining the footed leg of said chair when the headed shank is turned out of said base member, the feet of the chair being slotted whereby they may be brought into their iinal set position with relation to the shanks of the attaching members by sliding the feet along the floor, and the ioor fixtures being arranged whereby the Shanks of the attaching members will enter the slotted feet of the chair when slid along the floor as aforesaid, and means for limiting the extent of inturning of the attaching members whereby the heads thereof will lie flush with the floor when not in use.

2. In a floor attachment for chairs the combination with a chair having vfooted legs attachable to the floor, of a plurality of" floor xtures corresponding in number with the footed legs of the chair and to which the feet of the chair are attached, each floor fixture comprising a socket containing base member set into and nxed to the floor, an attaching member comprising a headed shank in threaded engagement with said base member and co-operating therewith in manner whereby the head of the shank may occupy an inactive socketed out of the way position within said base member, or an active operative position above said base member for retaining the footed leg of a chair when the headed shank is turned out of said base member, the feet of the chair being slotted whereby they may be brought into their final set position with relation to the Shanks of the attaching members by sliding the feet along the floor, and the floor fixtures being arranged whereby the shanks of the attaching members will entervthe slotted feet of the chair when slid along the floor as aforesaid, means for limiting the extent of outturning of the attaching members, and means for limiting the extent of inturning thereof whereby the heads of the attaching members will lie flush with the oor when not in use.

3. In a floor attachment for chairs, a licor Iixture comprising a socket containing base member .adapted to be set into and iixed to the floor and including a loor plate with stud depending therefrom and within which floor plate and upper portion of said stud said socket is formed, and an attaching member comprising a headed shank passed through said socket and in threaded engagement with the stud portion of said base member whereby the shank may be turned into or out of said base member and the head of the shank occupy either an inactive out of the way position socketed therein or an active operative position above said base member for retaining the footed leg of a chair, and a collar on said shank spaced from the head thereof for any oi the purposes specified.

4. In a floor attachment for chairs, a floor xture comprising a socket containing base member adapted to be set into and fixed to the floor and including a floor plate with. stud depending therefrom and within which door plate and upper portion of said stud said socket is formed, and an attaching member comprising a headed shank passed through said socket and in threaded engagement with the stud portion of said base member with extension therethrough whereby the shank may be turned into or out of said base member and the head of the shank occupy either an inactive out of the Way position socketed therein or an active operative position above said base member for retaining the footed leg of a chair, a collar on said shank spaced from the head thereof for any of the purposes specified, and a stop on the end of said shank adapted, when the attaching member is turned out, to engage the end of said stud portion of the base member for the purpose specied.

5. In a floor attachment for chairs the combination With a. chair `having footed legs attachable to the floor, of a plurality of oor xtures corresponding in number with the footed legs of the chair and to which the feet of the chair are attached, each oor xture comprising a socket containing base member set into and xed to the floor, and an attaching member comprising a headed shank in threaded engagement with said base member and co-operating therewith in manner whereby the head of the shank may occupy an inactive socketed out of the Way position within said base member or an active operative position above said base member for retaining the footed leg of said chair when the headed shank is turned out of said base member, the feet of the chair being slotted whereby they may be brought into their nal set position with relation to the Shanks of the attaching members by sliding the feet along the floor, and the floor fixtures being arranged whereby the Shanks of the attaching members will enter the slotted feet of the chair when slid along the floor as aforesaid.

WILLIS DOANE RICH. 

